


Fiery Bonds

by austengoth



Series: The Bonds that unites us [1]
Category: ATEEZ (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Witchcraft, Drama & Romance, Fights, M/M, Magical Bond, Multi, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Psychological Trauma, Sharing a Bed, The Secret Circle AU nobody asked for, Witchcraft, heavily inspired/ripped off oof
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-05-05
Updated: 2020-07-25
Packaged: 2021-03-03 00:14:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Underage
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,063
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24015772
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/austengoth/pseuds/austengoth
Summary: Hongjoong just moved to a new house to live with his aunt after a tragic accident made his life change completely overnight. Meeting new people in this town surrounded by misteries, he might discover why this city seems to be connected to his family and his future, as well as his new friends.
Relationships: Choi San/Jung Wooyoung, Jeong Yunho/Kim Hongjoong, Kim Hongjoong/Park Seonghwa
Series: The Bonds that unites us [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1732201
Comments: 5
Kudos: 15





	1. eveything starts with a fire

**Author's Note:**

> Hello lovelies! I just dived head-first into this fandom after an year of deliberation and I don't regreat it now. I don't have a beta, so sorry if there's any mistakes, as English is not my first language. 
> 
> I hope you guys enjoy and leave comments. 
> 
> I'm not really a fast writer - especially in this depressing circumstances - but I promise to try my best to update it as soon as I can.

✝ Hongjoong ✝

Hongjoong’s hands were numb now while he power walked towards his car, the vehicle seeming to be farer away than he anticipated now then when back at the market he decided to add another five bottles of his favorite energetic drink in his cart. His mother were sure to give him another sermon about how that would affect his health if his diet would continue to consist of only Monster and chocolate bars. 

_ I can’t help it if my brain functions better at night.  _

But it didn’t make any easier to carry their month shopping alone at night, when he literally couldn’t see a single living being meters ahead. Hongjoong hated living in such a tiny town; hell, he couldn’t even find it on Google Maps. Of course he didn’t have the option of going to a cafe to buy sugary drinks dripping with caffeine, so Monster became his second favorite thing after reforming clothes. 

The boy went straight to his humble yellow beetle with the groceries and dumped everything in the passenger seat, huffing from all that exercise. His trip home was long, since their house was even more inland than their tiny county and he was forced to ride the highway in the outskirts. Hongjoong didn’t mind it much, though; the view from the dense forests always calmed him down. His mother always reprimanded him for it, but since he could remember, Hongjoong liked to escape at night, when Haeyeong was already asleep, to the woods near their house. He sank his hands into the dirt, feeling that calming energy pour through his veins. He could almost say he felt the forest breath, the pulsating tingle creeping up his fingers and hands and arms until all his body was light and numb; not the numbness he felt slowly fading from his throbbing arms right now, but the kind of numbness that engulfed him whole, pleasant, inviting and gentle. 

Now that he was older, he tried to control this impulse to run to the woods, to submerge under the trees and sleep. The kids from school always made fun of him, saying he was an elf. Hongjoong always rebuked saying he would grow taller than all of them, but as if of spite, the universe decided to stuck him in his  5'7” forever. That’s why his hair was bright red, and his nails always black: he wanted to be  _ seen _ . His presence should be known to every people. Haeyeong and he always fought about this particular trait of his personality. Though always very amiable, sometimes Hongjoong liked to let his inner demon free. 

His phone rang just as the beetle started complaining and dangerous sounding noises came from the hood, startling the boy awake from his thoughts. 

“Yes, Haeyeong-ssi?”, he grunted, hand not reaching the glove compartment where he stowed the key to open the rear seat to grab the tire iron “I’m kinda busy right now”.

“Are you coming home? I’m almost finished with dinner”, his mother said in the same motherly voice, but Hongjoong could hear the masked giggle behind it.

“Yeah, if this thing doesn't break before I arrive”. He pulled over to the roadside, the sigh already escaping his lips when he poised the phone between his shoulder and cheek, finally leaning towards the handle. He pulled. it didn’t budge “why the fuck this always happens to me?”, he groaned and pulled harder. 

“Language!”, Haeyeong chastised, but the grin was still in her voice when she continued, “if you didn’t insult The Beatle so much, I’m sure she wouldn’t do that”.

“Shut up, Haeyeong-ssi! If this thing doesn't start running in five seconds I’m gonna smash it to pieces! It’s past the time to buy another car”. The handle broke. “ _ AARGH _ !”

“Oh, Hongjoongie, don’t be so hard on her, I’ll draggle the cooking so you can be here when I open the oven and reveal my masterpiece~”

“As if you don’t make your lasagna every friday!”, he mocked, but the smile was visible on his face, “and stop calling it The Beatle! It’s so temperamental because you keep forgiving this stupid thing”, now giving up the angry pulling, Hongjoong inclined his body in the backseat and fumbled around until his fingers touched the cold metal of the backup tire iron. He was sure it was rusty, but he couldn’t do anything more. 

“How dare you! I’m making this home cooked lasagna that has such a hard recipe just for my adorable son that went grocery shopping for me!”, Haeyeong whined and Hongjoong could hear the sound of pots being knocked over. 

“Are you alright mom? You sure you aren’t just burning the house down while I’m not there?”, the son teased, shuddering when the cold air of night striked his coatless arms, “but for real, I’m just gonna change the tires quick and soon I’m home, ok?”

“Okay, baby, mom is waiting for you”, the other sounds stopped beyond her sweet voice. “I’ll put our favorite movie, so hurry home, I love you”.

“Okay~”, he answered, the tender smile never leaving his face. His mother could be a handful sometimes - and too overprotective - but he just loved her. There was no one else in his life. “I’m hanging up now-”

“AH! Hongjoongie, son, don’t come-!”

“Mom?! What is it? Something happened?!”

There was a scratchy sound so deafening it stunned Hongjoong, and his phone fell to the ground in a echoing tud.

“MOM?!”, he screamed, but the screen was black, the cracks shining like broken mirrors against his face. 

Hongjoong felt like his heart was being ripped out of him, the gentle feeling in his body rapidly turning into an awful tingling. And the tingling became an itch. 

_ The forest is watching me. I feel their eyes. _

The itch became the faintest burning, and his hand clenched, blood dripping down his fingers when the increased strength in his trembling fists bit his palms to try and placate the pain throbbing his arm, his shoulder, his neck. He sensed the painting, the sweat descending his face. 

_ I’m burning. _

He gasped, breathing too hard now. With the corner of his eyes, he saw his phone abandoned on the street, together with the tire iron. 

His world emptied of everything except his body immersed in the acustest agony, the car mere inches from him, hotness radiating from the hood in synchrony. He thought he could feel his skin curling black just like when he sank his hands in moist soil. The flesh crisping and dropping away until only charred bones remained. 

And then the pain stopped, not leaving even a lingering tingle. Hongjoong looked towards the dark, bottomless woods. He didn’t feel calm. 

✝  Hongjoong  ✝ 

The Beatle rocked gently in the old highways, engine humming. His duffel bag bumped in his thigh whenever he changed gears. The old radio blasted Lady Gaga songs, but he wasn’t screaming at the top of his lungs, nor his legs swinged with the cheery rhythm. It had been two weeks. Hongjoong couldn’t believe how fast the days passed since that friday. He couldn’t help the somber chuckle when he remembered it was on the friday 13th.

_ This is the universe laughing at us, mom. It’s your fault for believing in spirits, gods and shit like that. Now you’re dead. And I’m alone.  _

No one knew how the fire spread so quickly. It was said Haeyeong was distracted when the pots exploded, engulfing their house in flames. Hongjoong knew it was bullshit, she was talking with him, he heard her last words. 

_ And I was childish, I didn’t even thank her for cooking for me. I didn’t even told her I loved her back.  _

His aunt was waiting for him in their family house. He haven’t seen Yu-ri since he was nine years old, and she didn’t visit him and his mom for all those years. For what he remembered, aunt Yu-ri was a very sweet person, and reminded him a lot of his mother. It was to be expected, since she was the oldest sister. 

_ I don’t even know how to face her. What am I going to say? You know your dearest younger sister, whom you haven’t met in forever? She’s dead. Now you need to take care of her son, nice to see you again, auntie. _

Hongjoong was bitter, and he knew it wasn’t because of his aunt lack of visits. His mother never wanted to go back to New Salem, and the boy suspected it was because the place remembered her too much of his father. 

Hongjoong didn’t know much about the man. He’d never even saw a picture of him; The only thing that confirmed he existed was Hongjoong’s surname. 

_ Kim. One of the founding families of New Salem.  _

The city was even smaller than where he lived with his mother for the last two years. They never stayed in the same house for long; Hongjoong used to tease Haeyeong saying she was an FBI fugitive or something. 

New Salem was a charming little thing, lots of green and suburban houses. All the sidewalks were made of stone, shadowed by big trees; in a normal day, Hongjoong would appreciate the view. Even if his dream was to go to the big metropolises, the idea of living with his mom and aunt in their big family house seemed way better than their constant moving around. 

Even after eight years, his eyes recognized the streets from his childhood memories, and was easy enough to navigate to the house. He remembered the small park with the playground, where he used to play with Yunho. Was Yunho still living here?

Jeong Yunho was his aunt’s neighbor. Their house was a little smaller, but they had the most amazing bakery in town. 

_ I wonder if Miss Yoon-ah still makes the lemon and chocolate pie. Has Yunho learned how to cook? He was terrible at it. _

Kwon Yu-ri was waiting in front of the big, slightly gothic suburban house. Ivies hugged the dark wood columns, expanding to the red brick walls. It was a cute house, kind of classic. His aunt matched the house, he thought.

He stopped the car, taking a deep breath before grabbing his duffel bag and getting out, squeezing the straps until his fingers turned white. 

“Hello Yu-ri”, he croaked, now overcome with emotion when he looked at the kind expression on his aunt’s face. Her light brown hair, tight in a bun, remembered him too much of her.

“It’s been too long, my boy”, the woman replied, eyes too, becoming moist. 

She finished stepping towards him, and didn’t hesitate to engulf Hongjoong in a way too familiar hug. He felt comforted for the first time in the two weeks he needed to wait until his guardianship was ready so he could leave the foster family that sheltered him back there. 

“I’m so sorry, auntie… I never even said goodbye to her”, he wheezed, and realized he was sobbing, clinging tightly to the warm, kind embrace of his family. Now Yu-ri was all he knew, all he could depend on. He never met his father, and for what his mother told him, he didn’t have any family. Besides her older sister, Haeyeong had lost her parents soon before Hongjoong was born, and his aunt never married. 

“Shh… It’s not your fault. She knows you love her, it’s alright”.

It wasn’t. 

But Hongjoong needed to move on. 

✝ Hongjoong ✝ 

He didn’t really had much to unpack, so all his things were sorted in the wardrobe in his mom’s old room in less than thirty minutes. Yu-ri made him herbal tea, and he sat on the queen sized bed, looking around with the mug between his hands. 

_ It’s warm. Mom’s room is warm. _

Contrary to the rest of the house, made of dark wood and rustic furniture, his mother’s room was light; all warm wood, big windows and white draperies. Everything that belonged to her was still there, untouched. Her jewelry, her music box, the poster from The Beatles and The Cranberries, the pictures from her high school days glued in the mirror. 

Hongjoong thought it would hurt, being surrounded by her. But he felt calm, warm, seeing her spirit so alive in that room. Her smiling young face was nothing like his pointed features. The kids always bullied him, saying he was adopted. But his eyes were the same hazel, honey like color as hers and Yu-ri’s. 

_ I wonder if my dad was in any of these pictures. _

He knew he was a bit older than his mom, for a few years, and that they had been dating for a short time before he was born. 

_ I was cursed with his face, but never even saw him.  _

His father died soon after he completed two. The boy didn’t remember anything: nor his face, his hair, his voice. Nothing. Not even hazy memories. 

His mother always refused to talk about him; everytime he dared ask, she changed subjects or lashed out at him. Hongjoong thought it was normal to be curious about his father, but he knew it hurt Haeyeong, and after his seventh birthday, he stopped asking. She was the one who took care of him, after all. She was his soulmate, and everything he needed. 

“Hongjoong!”, a voice called from downstairs, and he snapped from his reverie. 

“Yes, auntie?”, he leapt from the bed, walking down the stairs to meet Yu-ri in the kitchen. There he saw her wearing an apron, a pot of hot tea in the stove. And another man, tall, slim, flowing cinnamon hair. “Yunho?”, the name came to the tip of his tongue before he could process the presence of his childhood friend. 

“Hongjoong-hyung!”, the younger answered, reaching for him with long arms to squeeze his small frame in a hug. “I missed you so much”. Hongjoong also hugged him, taken aback by the sudden rush of feelings making the short hair in his nape bristle. He could see the happy smile dancing on Yu-ri’s face, and instantly relaxed when the comforting affection grew in his heart for seeing Yunho after so many years. Even if he was ridiculously taller than him now, his puppy face was still as adorable as it was back then. 

“Yunho-ah, how are you?”, he asked, looking at his friend’s face and remembering the long nose, the almond shaped eyes, the full cheeks. “You’ve grown well, huh?”, he joked, being secretly pissed by the other’s tallness. 

“You haven’t, hyung”, was the reply, and Hongjoong frowned, slapping the large chest in front of him.

“Shut up, you brat! I see you’re still as rude as you were!”

“I can’t help it, you’re too fun to tease, Hongjoong”, Yunho lowered his hands to grab his forearms, stopping the grip at his wrists. “And you’re still very delicate”. Hongjoong couldn’t hear the last sentence, whispered, but before he could scold the younger to speak clearly, Yu-ri spoke.

“Why don’t you boys go have some tea in the backyard? It’s a beautiful sunny day and some fresh air is going to do you good after all the unpacking, Hongjoong”.

\--

It was indeed a very beautiful, agreeable sunny day; it wasn’t too hot or too cold. The table was placed in the grass, and Hongjoong’s feet touched the ground gently, feeling the caress of the green leaves, the warm soil. It made his heart swell with tenderness. He missed that, being in contact with nature. After the fire that took his mom, he was scared to relish in the feelings of comfort this connection brought him. 

Yunho sipped his tea, eyes never leaving his childhood friend. They met one day when Hongjoong came to visit his aunt, when he was five. Yunho was four, and they played together in the playground near, their mothers chatting animatedly without a care in the world. Everytime Hongjoong visited from that day forward, they would play together. 

Yoon-ah and Haeyeong studied in the same high school, and naturally, their kids would grow close as well. 

“I’m sorry for what happened, Hongjoong… But I’m happy to see you again”, Yunho said after some time, placing his mug quietly on the table. “I really, really missed you”.

Something in the way he said those words resonated deeply in Hongjoong’s heart, and he smiled gently. “I’m happy to see you, too. Now we really are neighbors”. 

“Yes”, the younger smiled, extending his hand until it touched the tip of the other’s finger, and Hongjoong allowed them to intertwine loosely. They stayed like that, in silence, for what felt like an eternity. Time slowed, the wind calming Hongjoong’s heart, and he felt home, felt like himself again. 

“Well, now we can see each other all the time… Even study together”, he mused, smiling in response to Yunho’s excitement.

“Yes! Even if we won’t be in the same year… We can still have lunch at school break, and walk home together”. 

“Yeah, it’s going to be fun. Please take care of me”, the shorter boy answered, and went to retreat his hand to pick his mug, but Yunho clutched it tighter. “What is it?”. He noticed the younger’s smile was now a bit hesitant, a bit shy. “You can tell me anything, Yunho-ah, I’ll listen”, he promised, looking at their intertwined fingers. 

“Well… Today’ll have a little festival near the beach shore, at Seasons. It’s the best bar in town, and it’ll have food stalls, music… Why don’t we go together? I’m helping organize it with a friend, but afterwards I can enjoy with you... You can meet some people that are going to study with us”, the boy explained, not maintaining Hongjoong’s gaze for too long. 

“You don’t need to convince me so much, Yunho… I’m happy to go with you, and I’m glad you asked”.

That seemed to instantly relax the other. Hongjoong giggled, not understanding the sudden nervousness of his friend. He was sweet to be worried about him. It was better to not be confined at home, really, or his aunt would worry... And he could meet people, it was going to be good. 

✝ Hongjoong ✝

Hongjoong put a little more effort on his appearance when he left the house to meet Yunho at the festival. He even used concealer to hide the bags under his eyes and styled his red hair. The paint was already coming off, and he was torn between painting it another color or just let it fade until it came back to the natural dark brown. He always envied his mother for the lighter tone of her hair that resembled the leaves of maple trees during fall. 

There was a lot of people his age roaming around, some eating, some drinking. Groups of teenagers being loud and rowdy with their all-stars and leather jackets. He didn’t see Yunho anywhere, and checked his phone one more time, seeing the short text the other sent him not too long ago. 

**Yunho Puppy**

hyung I’m busy rn but

just wait a little bit for me 

i’ll just finish something very quick and we can meet

Hongjoong sighed, feeling out of place. He wasn’t really a party person, and too much noise in the same space made him anxious. Going against his sense of shyness, the redhead plugged his headphones on and muffled the sound with Abel Korzeniowski ‘Dance For Me Wallis’, swaying towards the sea. His boots sank in the sand, but he didn’t mind it. Opening his arms wide, the boy twirled, feet springing and moving in practised pirouettes, gaining moment to do the Kitri jump, breath, 1,2,3. Fouetté. 

His closed eyes didn’t see how a man observed him short steps away, transfixed. Hongjoong learned ballet since he was a kid. Something about the flowy movements, the complete freedom in the jumps, everything about it made his heart pound. He didn’t want to pursue it professionally, since he always thought transforming something you love into obligation caused this something to lose its initial magic. 

He would have lose himself in the moment, body moving only by instinct, if he hadn’t bumped into something sturdy. Surprised and most mortified, Hongjoong opened his eyes and looked up to see a man a bit taller than him. His hair was darker than the sky above them, but his eyes twinkled just like its stars. 

He felt the same static from the dance, the lingering, sizzling sensation that captivated him, like a rain of thunders had struck his body. He was bewitched beyond common sense, as if things aligned and made sense for the first time in his life only by looking in those glittering eyes.

“You…”, the stranger began to say, and strangely, the boy could hear him even with the music still on, as if his voice resonated directly inside his head, the vibration overwhelmingly close.

But he couldn’t hear the end of that sentence, because someone screamed a little ways away from them. Hongjoong snapped his head in the direction of the voices, seeing two guys arguing. He couldn’t make sense of what they were talking about, but his mediating nature made his feet carry him over automatically, the headphones off as soon as he approached the one nearer.

“Hey, let’s calm down”, he asked, trying to get in the way. 

“Who the fuck are you? I don’t know you, fuck off”, the one with raven hair yelled, pushing Hongjoong back when he reached a hand. 

“Please, I’m just trying to help”, he tried again, glancing in the direction of the second boy. His eyes were rimmed with tears. “I don’t know what’s happening but there’s better ways to solve this than fighting”. 

“Oh yeah, mister goody-two-shoes? We didn’t ask for your fucking opinion!”

“Wooyoung, San! What are you doing?”, another voice boomed in their direction, and Hongjoong turned to see the man with dark hair from before walking towards them. 

“Now you, Seonghwa? I don’t need this right now”, the guy rolled his eyes at the man, and directed a mean look towards Hongjoong. “You’re interrupting, go away!”

“I won’t!”, he hollered, not sure why his blood began to boil. 

The surprised look that painted all the other’s faces morphed in tense fascination as lightnings roared around them, the blaring strips of light suddenly punching the sand a if attracted by the redhead booming voice. 

“Where the hell this storm came from?!”, someone shouted, but Hongjoong was too entranced by the statics that bristled his hair, rain falling hard on him, muffling every other sound in the planet. 

“What are you doing, we need to get out of here!”, the boy that just some moments ago pushed him, now grabbed his arm in a firm grip and all but dragged Hongjoong away to the bar, in midst of surprised schrieks and stalls falling apart with the force of the wind, destroying any traces of the festive feeling from before. 

\--

The three boys staggered inside Seasons, Hongjoong still trying to ignore the after feeling of his skin pulling like the crackers of thunder outside. He tried not to flinch when Yunho all but assaulted him in a bone breaking hug, but he wouldn’t complain about the warmth that started to relax his chilled body. Everything happened way too fast, nobody really knew what the hell happened and the redhead was still trying to put a name on each new face. 

“Seonghwa-hyung, what in the fuck happened out there?”, Yunho beat him to it, his hands working quickly to take off the baggy hood and wrap it around the shivering shoulders of his friend. Hongjoong seemed even smaller in the younger’s large clothes. “Did you…?”

“No, it’s not like that”, Seonghwa shook his head, water dripping from his hair. “Just… It’s okay, I’ll deal with it later”, the  _ later  _ was emphasized with a sharp look in the direction of the other two. 

“But… Ok, fuck. We’ll talk later”, Yunho exhaled, his grip on Hongjoong’s shoulder tightening to angle him towards the exit. The older didn’t resist. The events of the night had been too much of a shock, there was a lot on his brain right now. 

“Wait!”, a voice stopped them, and Hongjoong felt another hand on his free shoulder. He turned around slightly, eyes widening when he saw Seonghwa’s face almost too near him.

“Wha-what is it…?”, he flushed, not sure how to address the other, ignoring Yunho’s increasing the strength of his arm around him. 

Seonghwa seemed to hesitate a little, but then confidence flashed in his eyes and he smiled sweetly. “I’m sorry, let me introduce myself. I’m Park Seonghwa, it’s nice to meet you. You’re new here, right? Welcome to New Salem”. 

Hongjoong definitely didn’t expect that. But he thought it was normal to introduce yourself after almost dying in a thunderstorm on the beach. He still couldn’t put a name in the tickling in his heart, so he ignored it. 

“Oh, I’m Hongjoong… I just moved today”, he provided, trying his best to not avert his eyes. Yunho’s arm was still protectively around him, and there some tension in the air or was he imagining it?

“So you’re going to study in Ateez Academy, right? I’m the student council president, so if you have any doubt or need something, you can look for me-”

“Ok, right now it’s not a good time to talk about school, yeah? Let me take Hongjoong home, he’s freezing”, Yunho interrupted, already pushing his friend towards the exit. 

“Ah, thank you!”, Hongjoong blurted in surprise, following Yunho and escaping the three pairs of intense eyes on his back.

\--

“Well, people here certainly can make an impression”, Hongjoong jokes, trying to liven up the sudden heavy mood. An ugly silence remains. 

He knew Yunho well enough to understand how his childhood friend couldn’t keep his feelings from his expression, and right now his whole body screamed tension. He didn’t know why, apart from the likely worry he caused after disappearing and stumbling back with three different people, drenched from the rain. He didn’t know anyone by name, but Yunho seemed to be acquainted with all three of them. 

After they arrived in Hongjoong’s new home, Yunho ignoring that his house was literally besides his and he shouldn’t have bothered to take him to the doorstep, the shorter boy finally gained courage to confront the issue. 

“Why are you behaving like something horrible is about to happen? I’m fine, just a little cold”, Hongjoong stopped right in front of the other, making him stop his brisk walk. “What happened? Did I offend any of your friends…? Is that it?”

“NO!”, Yunho stopped him, a frantic look on his face. Hongjoong flinched, looking at his friend’s eyes. 

“What is it, Yunho-ah? Tell me… Please”. He asked again in a lower voice. This time, taking the initiative to gently secure Yunho’s hands near his heart. He heard well enough the long breath intake, but didn’t shy away. “If I don’t know what’s bothering you, then I can’t do anything…”.

Yunho constricted his face painfully, and didn’t haste to repay Hongjoong’s open heartedness. Something was off, but apparently it wasn’t an easy subject to broach. 

“Promise me you will take a hot bath and sleep, hyung… I promise tomorrow I’ll come talk to you about something important, but I… I can’t do it right now, I’m sorry.” His words had the reverence of a scared child, and the older knew he was scared Hongjoong would be mad at him. But he couldn’t, for the love of him, be mad at this tender soul. 

In his soothing  countertenor , Hongjoong whispered in affirmation, and hugged his friend a bit longer than he usually would. “But promise you’ll rest as well, I can’t let you be sick because of me”, he said, showing the wet in Yunho’s shirt for holding him all this time. “It’s cold”. 

“I promise, hyung. Stay safe”, the warm smile returned, and that alone made Hongjoong’s heart lighter. 

“Goodnight”, he muttered, letting go first. 

“Goodnight”. 


	2. nervous confession of a star exploding

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No beta, all mistakes are mine.

✝ Hongjoong ✝

  
  


Hongjoong’s night was at least  _ strange _ . After the weird encounter with the trio in the beach, his outburst and the sudden thunderstorm, the boy was exhausted. Nothing about his arrival in New Salem had been typical, if he really thought about it. The city was eerily  _ empty _ , in every sense of the world. He couldn’t hear cars, people and there wasn’t even any residents sitting by the houses, like he used to see in his old county neighborhood. 

Yunho was acting strange and Yu-ri was quick to send him off to bed after forcing tea on him. His acceptance came fast, the tiredness engulfing his body like the gravity decided he should never get up. It was all fine, neverending darkness would allow him to rest from all the events that elapsed since he set foot in the Gothic Mansion. He nicknamed the house after some minutes passed and the sleepness still didn’t come; It was like his mom’s room was the other world and the rest was the melancholic, wiped out Pink Palace of Coraline. Except it was brown and dark. 

Hongjoong didn’t know how much time his subconscious kept daydreaming, but everything came to a stop when he jerked up from bed, heart pounding. His mom’s beautiful room was in such a disarray he really did feel like he teleported to the other world and was about to have his soul eaten. If he strained his ears enough, he could hear Haeyeong scolding his lack of organization. 

_ What the fuck happened? Did someone enter my room? Were we robbed?!  _

His tiny body scurried to Yu-ri’s room, fear gripping tightly his heart.

_ Please, be safe, auntie! Please! _

He opened the door with such force the wood cracked, but he couldn’t care enough about it and ran towards the bed. 

“Auntie!”, the bundle of blankets was empty, and he freezed. Was he alone again? Did they took another person from him?

_ They? Am I becoming paranoid like mom, now? _

If his mind spared any thought, he could foresee this happening. He knew Haeyeong didn’t die from an accident. What kind of fire accident engulfed a house in only some seconds without anyone noticing? 

“Hongjoong?”, the soothing voice of his aunt came from behind him. “What is it, darling? Did you have a nightmare?”, Yu-ri walked towards him, a note of worry clear as day in her tone. When her hand landed on his shoulder, his entire body melted and he fell to the ground. “Hongjoongie?!”, she kneeled besides him, a pair of arms enveloped his shivering frame. “Oh, darling, what happened? It’s okay, it’s okay…”

Hongjoong didn’t notice he was crying until the tears damped the white shirt he used to sleep. Some minutes passed in quiet solace, neither moving from the hug. 

_ She’s warm like mom… I miss you so much damnit! _

There was so much the redhead could do to prevent this outburst. Pretending Haeyeong wasn’t the only thing making him breathe was impossible at that point. He didn’t know how to live without her, his existence didn’t have any meaning anymore. 

“Yu-ri… I think someone broke into the house… My room is”,  _ her room,  _ “it’s a mess.”  _ I’m a mess. _

“What?!”, she shrieked and got up so fast the boy lost his balance. He followed her first with his eyes, and then gained courage to lift himself up, hands pressing into the bed, and go to his room after Yu-ri.

The room was in the same state he had left it. Things thrown around as if the storm from the day before had struck through the roof; wardrobe wide open and his clothes on the floor; the posters from his mother hanging all torn, as if someone had clawed everything in a pit of rage. 

He was so certain the window was closed when he went to sleep. 

But Yu-ri didn’t seem scared, or even shook. Actually, her worried look was directed towards him, and he knew she wanted to tell him something. But perhaps thinking better about it, Yu-ri smiled and started to straighten the room. 

“It’s okay, darling… I’m sure this wasn’t a robbery, we have security alarms… I thought it was strange when you told me someone broke in…”, her eyes were darting around at everything but him. 

“But auntie… What could possibly hav-”

“You must have been sleepwalking, no? Haeyeong used to do that a lot in your age. Our parents were always pissed when she dropped something and woke everyone up”.

_ This is bullshit.  _ “This is bullshit! I don’t sleepwalk, something-”

“Hongjoong”. Her tone was final, and Hongjoong lost all the will to reply. 

“I’m sorry auntie... you must be right”. 

\--

After a somewhat tense breakfast, Hongjoong escaped to the park between his house and Yunho’s. He considered calling his friend, but the memory of his strange behavior kept him from doing it. He wasn’t sure he could deal with any more awkwardness.

_ What the fuck is wrong with people here? Everyone is so fucking weird.  _

The two boys from yesterday also had that strange aura, something burbling under the surface.

_ It’s something about their eyes… Everyone seems hollow. _

He couldn’t put his finger around it, so he decided it was best to forget the matter and plugged his earphones. Music always came naturally to him whenever he was feeling like the world didn’t make sense. 

_ But that guy yesterday, Park Seonghwa… He seemed different. Real. _

The starry eyes, the sizzling touch. He didn’t know why, but he wanted to see him again. 

Hongjoong didn’t have boyfriends before. His first kiss, if he wasn’t mistaken, was one time when he was playing house with Yunho and they were about eight. It was awkward and embarrassing, especially because Haeyeong and Yoon-ah cackled seeing their kids become so red from being caught playing newlyweds. After that, the only romantic interaction he experienced was when a girl from his class confessed in his fifteenth birthday party. Hongjoong didn’t really stay around enough to get attached to anyone; Yunho was the only person he remembered fondly from time to time - and really - it was a surprise the boy cared about him at all at this point.

Was he lucky to have him in this new chapter of his life? He couldn’t tell. 

And it wasn’t like he was in love or something; Hongjoong didn’t believe in love - Seonghwa was a little too much like his ideal type - and that confused his senses. 

_ This is me being needy. Fucking pathetic.  _

“Hyung? What are you doing here?”, Yunho’s voice broke his line of thought and a sweet smell wafted around him. “I’m sorry… I saw you from the bakery, and you seemed… Are you listening to me?”, he pointed to the earphones.

Hongjoong noticed he was sitting there all along with his earplugs on and no music. His eyes drifted towards the plate in Yunho’s hands that held a beautiful slice of apple pie. 

“Hyung?”

“Oh, yeah, yes! I’m listening. Sorry”, Hongjoong answered, flustered. He really wasn’t in his right mind right now. 

Yunho directed him a confused, reticent smile, but soon put on his happy puppy face and sat besides Hongjoong in the wooden bench. They both probably felt the intense nostalgia induced calmness from their memories of childhood;  _ everything was so simple then. _

“Here, I brought this for you”,  _ Yunho’s hands were so much bigger than his.  _

“Thank you…”, he whispered, a little embarrassed for some reason. The sweet gesture kind of touched him more deeply than he dared to admit. He took a bite, the crunchy dough made the most delicious sound. “Yoon-ah still makes the best pies around here, huh?”.

For that statement, Yunho puffed his chest proudly, “actually, I made this one”. 

“What?! But you’re like, terrible at cooking! I remember you always got scolded for burning the kitchen when trying to copy your mom’s cookie recipe when we were young!”

“That was so long ago, hyung”, the taller scoffed, affronted “you must know I’m as good as mom nowadays”.

“Well, I can’t disagree…”, Hongjoong conceded, taking another bite “are you sure this is really yours?”

“Yes!”

The oldest of the two laughed good-naturedly, feeling a little bit lighter than before. Sure things were strange, but at least he still had Yunho. 

They talked about nothing in particular, the peaceful morning casting sunlight in their feet. Yunho’s feet were probably twice his size. How come he grew so much?

“Well… I know you told me everything was alright, and I understand you only just arrived and we haven’t really spoke in… what? Eight years? Wow… It really has been a long time, huh…?” Yunho sighed, looking at Hongjoong tenderly, “And I know I’m younger and I might not seem like a reliable person, but... “

“You can say what you want, Yunho-ah”, the older smiled, trying to demonstrate his heart wasn’t afraid of shattering to pieces.

“Well… What… What happened yesterday was strange, right? And you seem worried, so… I was wondering if it was about that”.

Honestly Hongjoong wasn’t sure if what worried him most were the strange things or the fact his aunt probably thought he was a crazy person. His room was a mess, and what could he do to prove to her it wasn’t him who destroyed the only memories of Haeyeong they had? He was not even sure if it really wasn't him, by now. 

“It… It was not… It’s not about that… Well, I was a bit put off by everything but, I guess it’s a little of everything”, he breathed, legs a little wobbly even if he was seated. “Today, I woke up and my bedroom… It was a mess, Yunho.”, he looked at his friend, fear gripping his heart. “I thought someone had broke in, but nothing was taken and… It was only my room. What if I had some crazed attack and wrecked everything? I’m sure I was asleep, but what if…”

The boy didn’t finish his sentence. He was too afraid the words spoken aloud would make the inevitable truth: he was going crazy. 

“Hyung”, the large hand that enveloped Hongjoong’s was warm. He still couldn’t look up. “You’re not… It’s not your fault… I need to tell you something. It's important and I wanted to tell you yesterday, but… This doesn’t affect only me, so I can’t… But listen to me”, Yunho was firm, but nonetheless gentle when he directed Hongjoong’s face towards him by the chin. “Everything will make sense, I just need a little time... Will you wait for me? On Monday I will tell you everything.”

_ What even is there to explain?  _

“I’m… Okay.”

✝ Hongjoong ✝

Things shouldn’t be so simple when you’re still dealing with your mother’s death. But that's exactly how it felt like when he went with Yu-ri to enroll in the last year of high school and the counselor was promptly put in charge of him. 

_ Yeah, they definitely think I’m a psychotic mess.  _

Of course Hongjoong believed in traumas and psychological support, indeed, he believed counseling should be mandatory for any person, traumatized or not. But this belief didn’t make any easier to accept he was going to be scrutinized from now on, every step watched. Yu-ri was (trying, at least) to be understanding and supportive, and Hongjoong guessed it was probably the fifth time she looked him in the eyes and guaranteed she was there for him, they were together, they would move on together.

All his life, the idea of ever needing a shrink was so far gone he didn’t really know what to say when he was headed to a cute room full of plants and wall frames: an obvious attempt of a ‘welcoming environment’, as the woman was explaining to him.  _ This is a safe place, you can speak about anything without fear of judgement.  _

The hours passed quickly, him only engaging in conversation when Haeyoung wasn’t mentioned. The woman seemed very interested in his father, for some reason, and Hongjoong was left feeling bitter and put out. Certainly the matter with his father or lack of fatherly figures wasn’t something important right now, or even related to moving on from his mother’s sudden death. 

Crossed with the way they seemed to lump all his problems in daddy issues, Hongjoong promised Yu-ri he would return soon, but first he needed to go around the city and buy some things for himself (“You know, things like new pens and notebooks”), and ignoring his aunt’s clear intention of keeping him home. 

That’s why he found himself in a car full of energy drinks and an unhealthy amount of caramel candies. The market was as small as he hoped, and the parking lot emptier as ever, perfect for a brooding and psychotic teenager to eat his sorrows away. So one can’t blame Hongjoong for being so startled he choked violently while a tall man flailed his arms in a panic outside his window car. 

The Beatle wasn’t in the best conditions for a while, and it seemed even worse now that his mother died, as if the rusty clunker was in an eternal mourning. Hongjoong put his hand above his heart, trying to calm down; Seonghwa seemed to like to appear out of nowhere every time he was feeling the most vulnerable. 

Giving up the will to escape, he stepped out and showed a square smile, not a word coming to his lips.

“Hongjoong-ah, right? Can I call you Hongjoong-ah? We are the same age”, the taller or didn’t notice the discomfort in the air or chose to ignore it. “Like I told you yesterday, I’m the president of the school council, so if you need anything, I can help you. I can show you around town… There are some hidden treasures here, and I’ll be honored to introduce you to everyone”.

“Honored?”

“You know, I kind of knew beforehand there was a new student coming, and since then I’ve been really curious about you… You see, not many people come to New Salem, so if you stay long enough, there won’t be any new faces around here. It’s easy to grow bored when living in such a tiny town, right? But I’m sure you’ll like the school, it’s very open and…”

Hongjoong started drifting in the middle of Seonghwa’s speech, but couldn’t hide the giggle when he noticed the other was probably nervous, hence the nonstop talking. 

“What is it?”, the startled question soon morphed into embarrassed laughs. “I’m sorry… I guess it’s been a while since I’ve talked to someone I don’t know…”.

“There’s no problem, I am not a talkative person either, so I’m sorry for the awkwardness… Things are still adjusting and I’m not… I’m not focused right now. But thank you, it’s sweet of you to come talk to me”.

“Oh, thank you… I mean, I guess this is all new for both of us… I just wanted to tell you I’m happy you came here, even if, well…”.

Hongjoong was sure the person in front of him didn’t know how to approach the subject, he didn’t even had the courage to say the word ‘death’, but contrary to what he thought would happen, the anger didn’t reach his mind, and the trembling also wouldn’t come. Seonghwa wasn’t someone he met before, but their conversation, although awkward, seemed to rest at the same place Hongjoong’s incessant songs did: deeply into his heart, afraid to come out in the open, afraid to recognize their own existence. 

“Why are you even talking to me? Is it because you’re in the student council?”, he caught himself asking. There wasn’t any malice behind this curiosity, he just wanted to know where to put Seonghwa in his mind. 

He felt constantly that he had been acting, not out of fear of judgement like right now, in this town full of his mother memories, but who didn’t act in their lives? Who didn’t pretend to be someone completely new, more interesting and nice than reality? Certainly Seonghwa was acting right now, trying to befriend the troubled, parentless child. 

However, the moment Seonghwa’s eyebrow curves in sincere confusion, he felt bad thinking so little of him. 

“You know, my mom died when I was young. I don’t have any memories of her”.

The sudden confession was said so bluntly Hongjoong thought maybe he heard wrong, and felt an undescritible urge to cry, like he was permitted in this place, in the middle of the dirt parking lot of a supermarket, to feel protected and safe to let out his emotions freely. Was that empathy? Was that how it felt to have a shoulder to cry on?

“And why… Why are you telling me this?”, he choked, tears already streaming down his face when Seonghwa continued to look at him with a tenderness he was too afraid of feeling. 

“Because I guess we might have more in common than you think, and I want to understand you. I know we just met yesterday, but… Would you let me be your friend?”, the question came awkwardly and slightly embarrassed. The shorter boy laughed.

“Who even asks someone to be their friend like that?”

“I’m sorry…”

“No, no, I’m glad… Thank you for sharing something so personal, I think I’m not doing a very good job of pretending to be fine”. 

“It’s alright if you’re not fine, you know? Life isn’t all about being happy and strong… I think we need time to heal and accept our new reality. And you are doing your best, Hongjoong-ah”. 

The air around them felt electric again, the lightning crept around them as the wind blew a hurricane that pushed their bodies close. 

“You don’t know me, Seonghwa… What makes you think I’m doing so great?”.

“Because your dance was so beautiful, and I was bewitched”.

The fragile, scared part of him wanted to run away. But he stayed anyways. 

It was strange how he thought the wind blowing, the shocking waves that seemed to come and go throughout their bodies was just like the energy he felt whenever he thrusted his hand in the warm soil, the harmony of the real and the imaginary coming together in a sensation he didn’t have enough vocabulary to explain. The starry eyes he perceived the moment they met each other shone brighter than ever, and the guilt gnawing him inside dissipated, as he accepted his sadness for the first time since Haeyoung was gone. 

“Can I hold your hand for a moment, please…?”, Hongjoong asked, eyes fixed on Seonghwa. 

“Yes”.

Their hands touching was revealing in many ways, especially when they both realized at the same time the low sound of the wind singing, the light from the stars coming down to meet their eyesight. Hongjoong wasn’t a person with synesthesia, but he was sure they saw the world like he saw it right now. Their breath connected, and only then the two boys noticed how closer they were, noses touching only slightly, warmth yet so subtle it could be an illusion. 

“Seonghwa, what are you doing!?” A voice cut through the magic and they both awoke from their dream like state. 

The two men from yesterday came running towards them, followed by a boy with such delicate beauty one couldn’t forget easily. But what caught Hongjoong’s attention was how the stars really were brighter, since all the lights had exploded, and smell of smoke lingered around. 

“Why are doing magic out in the open, have you lost your mind?! We promised to tell him together Monday, after school!”, San was the one screaming, and the panic clearly startled Seonghwa when Hongjoong started running away.

“Wait, Hongjoong!”

Weakness wasn’t supposed to be seen, not when he needed to respect his mother’s death. And when he heard the world ‘magic’ said like it was completely normal and real, that part of him that always hid itself seemed to slap him, and he knew the stars, the wind, the shattered street lights and his car burning wasn’t a coincidence, he wasn’t a crazy person. He burned when his mother did, he looked at the forest when it looked right back at him, and he exploded the cars and lights with Seonghwa when his heart trembled in confusion and fear. 

His mom’s room, it was him who destroyed it. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello luvies, another chapter here~
> 
> I'm a very slow writer, but I hope you guys like it.

**Author's Note:**

> I'll explore more about the past and the witchcraft in the next chapter, so please look forward to it. Any theories or comments about the story would greatly improve my will to write (please boast my ego). But nonetheless, I would like to know where my readers would imagine or want the story to go. 
> 
> p.s: seongjeong is the main shipp, but that doens't mean nothing in my shameless mind ;)


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